


Dancing

by doodles357



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 08:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17019129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodles357/pseuds/doodles357
Summary: It's the longest dance, across time and space. The two of them know the steps by heart, as they've been doing it for an eternity.





	Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Classic Who Secret Santa Exchange.

Dance (verb)

_move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps._

It could be described as a dance, what they did.

Waltzing around the universe together.

The same steps, the same pattern, every time.

They would go through the same motions every time, and when it finished.

They started over from the beginning.

 

_The daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away._

Out of all the ships there, he chose her as his partner. Not the newest or most advanced option. There were flashier models, ones that were more technologically advanced.

 

But he chose her. Entrusted her to take him and the only other person in the universe that he cared about away from there.

 

To safety? They weren’t always safe. But they were far away from the planet he didn’t want anything to do with anymore.

 

_A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard. It can move anywhere in time and space?_

Their first steps together in the dance were hurried and unplanned. They had been content, in their little corner of a world that she would spend more time on than any other in the universe. But then there were new people, stumbling inside, in awe of what they were seeing. And he pulled a lever and they were taking their first steps into the unknown.

 

The humans were scared and upset. He was angry and belligerent. The girl was unsure but wanted things to be good; she cared about all of them, and most of all, just wanted them to be happy.

 

He needed to be able to trust others. To let others in. It wasn’t something that came easily, so she decided to help him out. Having to rely on others was something new to him, but he needed to learn how to do so.

 

_You didn't always take me where I wanted to go._

_No, but I always took you where you needed to go._

And they changed him. Those two humans he whirled away with him. He started to enjoy the adventure, the uncertainty. She saw the pain when he let the girl go. He never would have done that before, but the dance had begun to change him.

 

There were more people after that. Young, old, human, alien, robot. Another one of his own people. From other universes. Some stayed for only a little while. Some stayed for quite a bit longer. They began to know how the dance worked.

 

_Step one._

 

Someone came aboard. By choice, by accident, by chance.

 

_Step two._

 

They stayed. By choice, by accident, by chance.

 

_Step three._

 

The adventure. This step was the most fun. The most dangerous. Usually a mixture of both.

 

_Step four._

 

They left. By choice, by accident, by chance.

 

_Step five._

 

They were alone, just the two of them. The whole universe, open to explore.

 

_You mean you're deliberately choosing to go on the run from your own people in a rackety old TARDIS?_

_Why not? After all, that's how it all started._

 

_Step one._

 

The dance began again.

 

_You'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you._

They danced across the universe, through the stars and constellations. Skipped around planets, spun through a nebula, swayed back and forwards in time.

Sometimes the dance changed. Sometimes they got separated on the dance floor and had to find their way back together. Across time and space and different universes. But in the end, they found each other again.

 

She remained a police box. He tried to fix it once, but it didn’t feel right. She changed her dress on the inside, to keep things interesting, but she found it fitting to stay the same on the outside.

 

_You know the sound the TARDIS makes? That wheezing, groaning. That sound brings hope, wherever it goes. To anyone who hears it, Doctor. Anyone. However lost. Even you._

 

POLICE TELEPHONE. FREE FOR USE OF PUBLIC. ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATELY. OFFICERS AND CARS RESPOND TO ALL CALLS. PULL TO OPEN.

_Advice and assistance obtainable immediately._

Because that was part of their dance. Adventure, excitement, and helping people. No matter who was along for the dance, wherever they went, they were there to help. The adventure was part of it, but it was far more than just that. Because you can only travel for fun for so long. You need to have a purpose.

 

The dance remained the same. Someone comes on board. They get sucked into the adventure. And sooner or later, they leave. Then the pair of them twirl off into the stars to begin the dance again.

 

_It’s always you and her, isn’t it? Long after the rest of us have gone. A boy and his box off to see the universe._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
